My Favorite Picture Books Of the Year ... So Far

I am quite a fan of the picture book. They are like little vignettes of humanity, told in twenty pages with gorgeous illustrations and thoughtful life lessons. Little kids are soooo lucky.

But I have to admit that in my house, my eight-, ten- and thirteen-year-old (yes you got that right, thirteen) still pick up picture books regularly and enjoy them. Recently I brought home the new offering from Ole Konnecke, one of my favorite picture book authors ever, and my fifth grader just connected with the humor so thoroughly that he kept taking it around to his siblings asking if they had read this book.

The other picture book I am so excited about this year is This Is Not My Hat by J. Klassen, a companion book to his widely successful story, I Want My Hat Back from last year. It is not out until October, but I had a chance to read an advanced copy and it is just as delightful as its predecessor! Look out for that one in the coming months.

I know, I say it over and over, but picture books are a wonderful thing. Let your kids enjoy them for as long as possible!

Here are a few our family have recently enjoyed!

Title:       Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Author:   Eric Litwin and James Dean

Target:    Preschool - Grade 2

What this book is about:

Pete the Cat is wearing his favorite shirt which has four groovy buttons on it.  As each button proceeds to pop off, Pete counts down until he has no buttons left, but perhaps there is another button hiding in there somewhere!

What I love about this book:

Everything!  First it is a wonderful counting book as Pete counts down his lost buttons, and the illustrator includes the math equations on each page.  There is also an incredibly groovy song incorporated into the story that my daughter and I could not get out of our heads and have been singing for a week now. You can hear the song on the website and the tune is easy enough, even for the musically challenged (yes, that means me!).  

I also love the tone of the book.  As Pete loses his buttons, the author asks if Pete is upset, and the message is that all is good! Buttons come and buttons go. A nice reminder for both kids and adults. Lastly, the repetition in the book is delightful for kids, as they can participate throughout the story, calling out the next line.

Who this book is for:

All kids should really enjoy the interactive nature and positive messages in this story, along with learning some early counting skills.

Final thoughts:

Pete the Cat is one groovy feline! I dare you not to be singing his song throughout the day!

To see all my favorite picture book selections, visit my blog at www.onegreatbook.com